The Truth or an opinion?
by Peggz
Summary: One older Slytherin discusses house prejudice, and why it annoys her to this day.


**P – **I decided to look into this topic, since it struck me one day, and I decided to kind of make a little sketch out of it. It sounded like a good idea when I wrote it.

**The Truth**

Many ask if us Slytherins have feelings, emotions, or even hearts. Now, I never though of us that way, because my own housemates have been nothing but kind to me, but I guess I decided to look into it a little more, see the truth behind it. You see, when I had first come to Hogwarts, the only house I'd wanted to be in was Slytherin, but murmurs in the corridors told me that it wasn't the best idea to say that aloud. I just didn't get why.

An older Slytherin told me that we were disliked because of our reputation as cunning and sly, not to mention rude, evil, and mean. I had sat there thinking for a while. After all, I had never done anything to other students but I still got sneers and snickers in the hallway. It wasn't my fault really, and yet I found myself wishing I was in Gryffindor, I mean they weren't hated by anyone, and the teachers loved them. Even Ravenclaw would've done the job I wanted, I just wanted to be liked for once, instead of snubbed.

It seemed like I couldn't make any friends besides those of my house. The Gryffindors all made fun of me and my housemates, and the Hufflepuffs cowered below us, while the Ravenclaws simply ignored us. This wasn't the recognition I wanted when I had first come to this school. I just didn't understand it, why was I hated for my house?

Soon enough, I ran to Dumbledore for an answer. I know what you are thinking now of course, why would I ever turn to him? Contrary to popular belief, I don't support the dark lord, and most would know that if they didn't judge me on my house. I was known as pureblood, evil, cunning, rude, stupid, and many other adjectives, only because of my house! Being so young, I ran up to his office one day, it was eating me up inside.

As I entered the large door, I found myself thinking even more. I had so many questions for him, I didn't even know if he could answer most of them, but I was a spitfire at this point, and rushed up to his desk with fire in my eyes, he even told me so. As I shot my questions at him, he sat me down slowly, and surely enough, began to explain.

"It is not your house that chooses your life, but the person behind those robes." Those words got me through school, surely, as most would think, why would I ever listen to him, right? He's a wise man, though a bit foolish at times, and dotty, though most would call him batty and crazy. It's not my real problem; I just took that advice and ran with it.

When you think about it more, it makes sense really. I had been following the guidelines set by students. They had said to me not to trust Gryffindor, ignore Hufflepuffs, and only talk to Ravenclaws if addressed. I was living by someone else's' words, not my own. I was what made me, well, me. Being a Slytherin couldn't control my lifestyle, I could be friends with whomever I wanted, and that's what they had been trying to get out all these years, even tough most of us ignore any words of it.

We were going to win the House Cup, on Harry Potter's first year, you know. We had earned it with house points, and we had only lost a few that year. Yet, when we became in second place, we weren't consoled, as others had been before us, we were ridiculed and teased at. Sure, maybe they did courageous things, but we had earned it just as much, and we weren't even congratulated for the hard work we had put into it those months.

Someone accused me once of opening the Chamber of Secrets, they never apologized, either. Like I could open it, the last Parselmouth in our family was generations ago. You know, they say a Gryffindor actually opened it, though I'll never know, either way, I didn't much care, what hurt me was the stereotyping done in that case. No one ever took our side when it came to House issues; they always took the other side, because we were like poison to them or something, and it hurt; a lot more than you will ever know.

Hogsmeade was a nice place to get away from, but even then, I wasn't allowed into Zonkos for about an hour because the Gryffindors had locked me out of it. It's a shame I call them that, but we've never actually been close enough to introduce ourselves. Last time I tried to, mashed potatoes and gravy were my new techniques of getting a facial.

Even the barmaid at the Three Broomsticks was a little edgy to me. She always took extra long on my orders, and even sometimes, didn't give me one at all! It upsets me to this day that I still can't get my orders in and actually get them within ten minutes. I almost missed the ride back to Hogwarts because she wouldn't take my order for a long time.

The Triwizard Tournament had come up fast, and we accepted the Durmstrang students as one of our own. He was cold and quiet at some times, and other he would be laughing and smiling like a young boy on Christmas. It was an odd reaction, which we did to him, but no one could believe that we could entertain people without ridiculing others. It gets old after a while, I can tell you that much, I've said that many times before.

Ignoring fifth year, we were the house picked for the Inquisitorial Squad. Everyone though we kissed up to that fat toad, but I thought she was a little repulsive beast. Ugly as ever and dastardly evil was a way to describe her. She was just…ugghh…I was glad when she was eaten by those centaurs or however the story goes. She wasn't any help to the environment either.

When Draco left, well that was a shock. He was the ruler of many younger students, and a 'cutie' to all the girls in his year. He was very handsome, yes, and he only dated of his house, so that was a plus, which I learned behind a broom closet that year. Poor thing was babied so much by Parkinson, he gets a cut and she's making out with it.

He promised me he'd come see me, but I haven't gotten a letter it whiles now. It's so shamed that Dumbledore is dead now. He was good man, but he trusted the wrong people. I never found anything wrong with Snape, not adding the fact that his shower was broken nine out of the ten times you would ask. Still, how could he kill the only man who gave him a chance at actually making it in the world!

I guess that concludes my little story. Slytherins are so hated, and for our house either. It's not like I'm an evil sea hag. I haven't reached an extreme low, you know. Of course, no one will ever see this article I've hidden in my diary. No one will ever, ever know the secret opinions of the young Miss Daphne Greengrass.


End file.
